Closing Date: Friday 29th August 2025 at 12 Noon
Our children’s services team is leading the way with exciting developments to further improve the lives of children and families in Blackpool. Our parent supporter team has been entirely co-produced over 3 years by families with lived experience of the children’s services system, working alongside practitioners working within the Blackpool partnership.
The parent supporter team is a blend of 3 distinct evidence-based models, including peer mentoring, peer support and be-friending. The role will NOT include formal advocacy work.
As a result, a fantastic opportunity has arisen for a dedicated Parent Supporter within the Early Help and Support Service. This role will provide voluntary, consent-based, one-to-one support to parents and carers at certain stages within children’s social care. It will work closely with families to help them navigate through the challenges they face, signposting them to key services, and promoting emotional health and well-being.
About the Role:
• As part of this role you will build strong relationships with partner organisations and services, helping bridge the gap between families and the support they need.
• Be part of a new team helping families in Blackpool navigate children’s services.
• Offer voluntary, one-to-one support to parents and carers during tough times.
• Guide families to the right services and support their emotional health and well-being.
• Help families feel stronger, more confident, and understood.
• Build trust and honesty while helping parents feel seen, heard, and supported.
• Speak their language and explain information in a way that’s easy to understand.
• Use your own experiences to support and guide others in a positive way.
• You will also be a champion for your peers, taking a strength-based and balanced approach to support families.
• Bridge the gap between families and services, working closely with other organisations.
• Share ideas and learning to help the team grow and improve.
• Work together with the community to create change and make a real difference.
For example, you might:
• Explain care plans or reports in a way parents can easily understand.
• Check in with families, listen, and offer moral support.
• Go with families to appointments or important meetings.
• Help with practical tasks like organising paperwork or bills.
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of parenting, local health and social challenges, and the impact of trauma on parents. They will have basic understanding and their own lived experience with statutory children's services and/ or family court systems, as well as strong knowledge of the Blackpool community and its available services. The candidate will have the ability to use their lived experience in a positive and appropriate way to help others, and will be skilled at building positive relationships with parents, colleagues and the wider community. They must be able to maintain professional boundaries, work collaboratively, remain calm in distressing situations. The ability to embrace our Blackpool Families Rock approach.
Strong communication skills, creativity, and the ability to learn new skills are essential, along with basic IT skills.
Why Join Us?
• Be part of an exciting and caring new team changing the culture and experience of support for families in Blackpool
• Contribute to wider systems change within Children’s Services
• Use your own experiences to guide and support others
• Team clinical supervision and receive appropriate training for their roles.
• Intensive induction and continuous development opportunities
• Employee assist programme - To support you through challenging times e.g. with free counselling, financial or legal advice.
• Pension scheme
If you’d like to join us at this exciting and innovative time and want to make a real difference to people’s lives, apply today!
For further information and to discuss this role, please contact[emailprotected] or [emailprotected]
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/vulnerable adults. This post is subject to satisfactory reference history of at least two years, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, medical clearance, evidence of any essential qualifications and proof of Right to Work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.
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